Eternal || Elijah Mikaelson

LXXXII - Prey To Predator

Sooooooooo. This is kinda short. :/ Sorry. Maybe I'll update later tonight?

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Chapter Eighty-Two

Klaus and Hayley had left a while ago. I had lost track of time, and couldn't care less how early or late it was. All I cared about was making sure that Elijah was okay.

I cared about him, more than he knew I did. He is supposed to be my family, like Rebekah and Klaus and Kol. But I feel something infinitely stronger for him.

I didn't understand how this had happened. It had taken me nine centuries to realize how much I cared about him.

I didn't know how long I had stayed there, thinking about our past. All I know is that Klaus was now standing at the doorway, holding a small cloth with a rough and gritty cream on it.

I got up and walked over to him, staring down at the cream. "What is it?"

"The thing that will bring him back, I hope," he sighed.

We both went back to him, and Klaus stood beside him. I went up onto the bed, holding his hand as I did before.

"We were innocent once, Elijah," Klaus said. "This blood lust was forced upon us by our parents, turning us from prey to predator. We're the demons lurking in shadow. We are the savage villains in fairy tales taught to children. But, not for my child. Not for Hope. In her stories, we are knights in shining armor. Without you by my side, I don't think I can survive my own love for my daughter. I need you. I need you, brother. The monster in me can only be challenged by the monster in you. Only together can we fight our demons and save our family."

He looked over at me, then handed the cloth to me. I looked at him with a confused expression, then nodded slowly. He wanted me to do it.

I began to put the cream on top of the rash on his neck, and decided that I needed to say it. I needed to tell him.

"We need you, Elijah," I told him. "I need you. You were right, that night at the tree. I can't..." I swallowed, almost choking on my words. "I can't do this without you. I can't face this world alone, none of us can. If what your mother has done hurts you, if she has told you that you are nothing but I monster, I promise that I will stand by your side and do everything I can to convince you otherwise. All of us have demons inside of us," I licked my lips, taking a deep breath. "And the truth is, we need each other to help fight our own."

I didn't take my eyes off of Elijah, but I stopped putting the cream on him. I knew that it would work. At least, I hoped that it would. And it did.

He gasped, then shot up in the bed, his eyes wide and his head going against the backboard while his hands clutched at the sheets. He was sweating again, and taking quick and small breaths while he looked at the two of us in shock.

I couldn't help but wonder if Elijah knew what I had said to him while I was in his mind. A part of me wanted him to, while the other part prayed that he didn't.

He was struggling.

I knew that for a fact when I passed his room an hour or so later, to see him standing in front of his mirror in a distressed fashion. His hand was gripping on the top of his desk, and his other hand was over his eyes. It was like he was trying to stop seeing something that wasn't even there. He was either remembering something terrible, or hallucinating. I could only hope that it was the latter.

"Elijah?" I called out.

I went forwards, and he didn't move. He just continued his slow breathing. It sounded shaky breaths, like he was struggling to do the simple action.

I walked to him, and put my hand over his. He flinched a little, then took his palm off of his eyes and turned to me. He removed my hand off of his in doing so.

I didn't ask him if he was alright, because I already knew the answer.

I moved my hand up to cradle his cheek, and he shut his eyes before taking in another shaky breath. He quickly reached up and removed my hand from his face. He shook his head, and looked down at the ground before staring me in the eyes.

"Let me help you," I whispered.

"You can't," he said, his voice hoarse and cracking.

"Yes, I can," I told him. I licked my lips before I continued. "Elijah, you were right. It's okay to not be okay."

He swallowed and watched me for a moment, then shook his head again. "I need some air," he said, and turned to leave. He rushed out of the room, likely going to the balcony in his quarters.

I watched him leave, and before long, Klaus showed up at the door. He looked over at me with a slightly surprised expression, then sent a struggled half-smile to me. I appreciated the gesture. We both walked into the other room, where we saw Elijah standing at the balcony and breathing in the cool night air. It appeared that he had composed himself.

"How do you feel?" Klaus asked.

"The worst has passed," Elijah said, then turned and walked back into the room. "Though I suspect the nightmares are far from over."

"Well, gather your strength," Klaus told him. "After the message I sent mother tonight, I expect hell fire to rain down upon us imminently."

"We need to make a move before she strikes," Elijah said.

"I think it's a little late for that," I said, a smile forming on my face when I heard Marcel and Hayley come into the room.

Hayley nodded to me, confirming my suspicions, then looked to Elijah. "It's good to see you vertical," she said to him, then continued. "Marcel and I each left a gift for you in the ballroom."

Klaus glanced at Marcel, then back at Hayley.

"You're welcome," she said.

Klaus walked past her, the two of us following behind him.

Marcel smirked. "You're welcome," he echoed Hayley.

We went to the ballroom, and I felt immediately conflicted. Both Kol and Finn were chained to the railings of the stairways, one on each side of the room. Finn looked nervous, while Kol was his usual sarcastic self.

"Kidnapping," he said. "It's a rather unpleasant way to begin a family reunion."

"Well, wait until you see how we end it," Klaus said, a grin forming on his lips.

And for the first time in centuries, I saw fear flash in Kol's eyes.